Video: Meet the Company of DRAG: THE MUSICAL
Oct 18, 2024
In BroadwayWorld's video, watch as the cast and creative team of Drag: The Musical chat about what audiences can expect from the new comedy musical.
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
If you put Mel Brooks, Charles Bush, Rocky Horror, and Rock of Ages into Blender
0:05
I feel like that's our musical. We're all just, like, living. Aplause and laughter are hard drugs, and we are all very addicted to it
0:14
I'm going to send you home with your stories to tell. Hey, yeah, hey, yeah
0:24
It's a real good time if you can handle the spell. Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
0:33
Drag the musical has brought their wigs and heels to set up shop here at New World Stages
0:37
where we drop by to meet the cast and give you a sneak peek. It's such a mix of people who are at the top of their field
0:50
but they're from all over the place. So I've got these incredible drag artists. I have these Broadway legends who I've grown up with doing shows
0:56
and a rock band, and to get them all to do the same show and tell the same story
1:00
and pull all their talents together is a challenge and it's such a fun room to be in
1:04
Well, it was like seven or like eight years ago and Tomaz, who I've been making music with
1:11
since I was on Drag Race 100 years ago, he was like, hey, do you want to write a musical
1:18
And I was like, sure, why not? That'll be easy. It wasn't easy. But I'm glad we did it
1:23
I know audiences are falling in love with this show already. Three sold-out runs in L.A
1:28
So talk about just the audience. this reaction to the show and what that's meant to you? Well, the audience is like a huge part of it because, you know, we're drag queens and we want
1:36
people to laugh and scream and cry and react in every way. So once we have, now that we have
1:43
people in the seats, it's like wonderful. It's like, we're all just like living
1:49
I a queen Yeah you know I a killing machine Yeah
2:02
This planet is my empire I'm gonna make the world battle down
2:11
Because you know I'm a queen Originally I recorded the studio album
2:19
Like right at the tail end of the pandemic pandemic. Spencer Lyft, who I've worked with a number of times, grew up as dancers here in the city
2:26
and works with him on falsettos, and he actually recommended me for this role. And so I flew to
2:32
L.A. right after I rapped to Fire Island, recorded the songs. And I was like, this is really
2:37
I responded to the music first, because they all could be like standalone singles on the radio
2:42
It's great, really fun music that I loved singing. And so they said, hey, we're going to do a production
2:48
of it in L.A. We want to come be a part of it. And so it just sort of, snowballed and it's like one of those things that I didn't have too many expectations around
2:56
And let me, like the freedom in that was beautiful and I just felt like I could bring my years
3:00
of experience to it and being around these amazing drag queens is so informative and, you know
3:05
it's helped me kind of craft who this person is. And it's been just a joy of an experience
3:09
I'm thrilled to finally be here. It feels like a dream come true. I, Alaska gave me a call and she was like, we need a Latina. You need a Latina who sings
3:18
And she, she showed me the music. And I, instantly fell in love
3:22
And then I read the script and I was like, oh my God, this part was written for me
3:26
And so yeah, it was an instant yes for me. I mean, all the drag that we see in musical theater
3:32
is like kinky boots or that's the majority of it. You know, it's very, and so it was just really exciting
3:38
to be a part of a new step forward and including drag into theater
3:43
So I am so excited to be making my off-Broadway debut. I have not done a musical since like 2021 when I was in college so I just very happy to be back to my roots Broadway and like musical theater like is kind of where Lux originated I been doing musical theater since I was in like seventh grade
4:01
So I'm excited to be doing it. And on a stage like this is like I couldn't ask for a better come back to the scene
4:08
I mean, speechless, but also have so much to say. How could I have predicted how amazing and big and fabulous this is all coming from L.A
4:18
into New York and just like that next level up. It's exciting. What I love the most is, there's a few shenanigans that the girls pull at each other backstage
4:26
but it translates so well on stage because the cat house girls were so much better than the
4:32
fish tank girls. And I'm telling you, we're the catty ones, but we're funny, we're hilarious
4:39
We're, uh, I call us the three stooges. I'm so excited. You know, we dreamed about this when we were out in L.A. doing the show
4:46
Now we're on our home turf over here in New York. for me, so I'm very happy that I'm not traveling across country to do something I love
4:53
I get to live in my house and do the damn thing and be with my best friends. It's truly amazing
4:57
Maybe because it's early. I'm getting beclimt already. You ask that question and I have to stop
5:02
because, you know, you have to love this. You know, you have to love this craft, you know
5:07
And the problem is we do it for free. Don't tell the producers and everybody else. That's the problem
5:14
You know, we love what we do and we love to create and to, you know, originally
5:18
The United role is something I've only done one other time and first time in New York, on a New York stage
5:26
And, you know, that process is so wonderful and complicated and gut-wrenching and infuriating, you know, all of that
5:34
So to get to experience that is pretty cool. There are so many things going through my head right now
5:39
But the biggest thing is that I've loved all these queens from RuPaul's Drag Race and love it
5:44
And the chance to work with them in real life and just inhabit this world is just a dream come true So yeah and my husband was like there this part in this show for you that you might be right for You need to audition for it And the next thing you knew my agent called and I like I will definitely audition for this
5:59
So that was that. How much fun is it being in the dressing room with all the girls as they're getting ready
6:04
Okay, I could spill the tea on this. But what's amazing is that there's no drama
6:08
There really is no drama. I've been in enough dressing rooms where there are so much more drama, and I can't talk about that here
6:14
But the fact that the queens really, what I love is that my head, half hour is only a half, like, I gotta get ready in half hour. They need to take about two hours
6:22
or so, but I like to be there early just to watch and just learn jujubi has all the tips
6:28
And sometimes I'm putting on makeup without wetting my sponge. And they're like, well, you know, you should really wet your sponge and all this. Like, I'm learning so much that I
6:35
actually love the dressing rooms because, like, it's just the vibe. And also, they're, they're
6:40
ridiculous. They're ridiculous. Why is this musical so perfect for right now? Oh, we need drag right now
6:47
It's very important. During a time where it's not okay to be yourself in many ways
6:53
we can show that you can be yourself. And we can normalize drag as well
6:57
And just self-expression. We even have an A-Fab queen in the mix. Yeah
7:01
I'm so excited for the world to see this. It's a great show, and it's super fun
7:06
And you don't expect to cry, but you do. And so, yeah. Like the poster says, hold on to your wigs
7:13
Get ready, guys. Get ready. This is a great show. I don't watch golden girls, I just watch the news
7:22
I'm just a straight man. A perfect and stave man. A perfect and stave man
7:33
Strain man
#Events & Listings
#Movies
#Music & Audio
#Performing Arts
#Acting & Theater
#Musical Films
#Vocals & Show Tunes
#Broadway & Musical Theater


